Isaiah Chapter 61 · Verse 5
And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
Original Language Analysis
וְעָמְד֣וּ
shall stand
H5975
וְעָמְד֣וּ
shall stand
Strong's:
H5975
Word #:
1 of 8
to stand, in various relations (literal and figurative, intransitive and transitive)
זָרִ֔ים
And strangers
H2114
זָרִ֔ים
And strangers
Strong's:
H2114
Word #:
2 of 8
to turn aside (especially for lodging); hence to be a foreigner, strange, profane; specifically (active participle) to commit adultery
וְרָע֖וּ
and feed
H7462
וְרָע֖וּ
and feed
Strong's:
H7462
Word #:
3 of 8
to tend a flock; i.e., pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a frie
צֹאנְכֶ֑ם
your flocks
H6629
צֹאנְכֶ֑ם
your flocks
Strong's:
H6629
Word #:
4 of 8
a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)
וּבְנֵ֣י
and the sons
H1121
וּבְנֵ֣י
and the sons
Strong's:
H1121
Word #:
5 of 8
a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or
נֵכָ֔ר
of the alien
H5236
נֵכָ֔ר
of the alien
Strong's:
H5236
Word #:
6 of 8
foreign, or (concretely) a foreigner, or (abstractly) heathendom
Historical Context
Under foreign domination (Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece, Rome), Israelites served alien masters. The prophecy promised reversal—not through military conquest but through the gospel's power. Gentiles would voluntarily join in serving God's purposes. The early church saw dramatic fulfillment as Gentile converts outnumbered Jewish believers and took up gospel work—Paul, the apostle to Gentiles, exemplifying this (Acts 9:15, Romans 11:13, Galatians 2:7-9). Gentile churches supported Jewish believers materially (Romans 15:27, 2 Corinthians 8-9), demonstrating mutual service in Christ.
Questions for Reflection
- How do Gentile believers today participate as willing servants in God's kingdom work?
- What does humble service in God's kingdom reveal about our transformed hearts?
- How does mutual service between Jewish and Gentile believers demonstrate gospel unity?
Analysis & Commentary
The role reversal continues: "And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers." In the ancient world, conquered peoples performed agricultural labor for their conquerors. Here the pattern reverses—foreigners willingly serve Israel, performing necessary but humble work. The Hebrew zarim (strangers) and nekar (aliens/foreigners) emphasize their outsider status. From a Reformed perspective, this doesn't teach ethnic superiority but prophesies Gentile believers gladly serving Christ's kingdom. Those formerly alienated from God's covenants (Ephesians 2:12-13) become willing servants in the household of faith. The imagery of feeding flocks, plowing, and dressing vines represents essential kingdom work—pastoral care, preparation of hearts for gospel seed, and cultivating spiritual fruit. Gentile believers don't merely receive blessing but actively participate in building God's kingdom, performing vital service alongside Jewish believers in the one body of Christ (Ephesians 2:14-22).